Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission expired, Barr. Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado was on Friday dramatically arrested by heavily armed policemen and flown to the Force Headquarters in Abuja for what sources described as a “high-profile investigation”.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that no fewer than 40 operatives stormed Rimin-Gado’s chambers in Kano, bundled him into waiting vehicles and drove straight to the airport.
Police spokesman in Kano, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, could not be reached for comment.
The arrest has sparked immediate outrage from the Kano State Government, which in a strongly worded statement on Friday night alleged that the action was a calculated attempt by “certain political elements operating from outside the state” to intimidate the former anti-graft boss and obstruct ongoing high-profile corruption cases against influential figures, including former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and members of his family.
Addressing journalists, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Abdulkareem Maude, SAN, said the operation was carried out without a warrant and in brazen violation of due process.
“Mr Muhuyi Magaji is believed to possess critical, firsthand and well-documented evidence in several sensitive prosecutions. The timing and brutal manner of his arrest raise grave fears that this is a deliberate attempt to compromise those investigations and shield politically exposed persons,” Maude said.
He described the deployment of such a large contingent of armed operatives for the arrest of a civilian as “misplaced priority and politicisation of security agencies”.
The Kano Government has demanded that the Nigeria Police Force immediately disclose the legal grounds for the arrest and detention, warning that it will not hesitate to approach the courts if Rimin-Gado is not released or charged within the constitutionally allowed time.
Civil society groups and anti-corruption advocates in Kano have also condemned the arrest, describing it as the latest attempt to silence one of the country’s most fearless anti-graft crusaders.As at the time of filing this report, no official statement has been issued by the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
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